Shaun Graf

Shaun Francis Graf (born 19 May 1957) is an Australian former international cricketer who played eleven One Day Internationals (ODIs) for Australia in the early 1980s as a bowling all-rounder. He played his domestic cricket at first-class level predominantly for Victoria, but also spent a season with Western Australia. Graf also played domestically in England, at first-class level for Hampshire and at minor counties level for Wiltshire and Cornwall. He later became a prominent administrator with Cricket Victoria.

Cricket career Early life and career Shaun Francis Graf was born on 19 May 1957 in Somerville, Victoria. He was educated at St Bede's College in the Melbourne suburb of Mentone. He made his grade debut at the age of 19 for St Kilda Cricket Club as a fast bowling all-rounder in the 1976–77 season. In 1979, he played minor counties cricket in England for Wiltshire, making five appearances in the Minor Counties Championship. Alongside minor counties cricket, he spent time in Bristol playing club cricket for Knowle. Returning to Australia after his minor counties stint, Graf made his debut in first-class cricket for Victoria against New South Wales at the Sydney Cricket Ground in the 1979–80 Sheffield Shield, with him playing a further five Shield matches that season. He scored 135 runs in his debut first-class season, in addition to taking 17 wickets with his right-arm fast-medium bowling at an average of 27.88. In the same season, he debuted in List A one-day cricket, making four appearances in the McDonald's Cup, the forerunner of the modern-day Dean Jones Trophy; he played in the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), taking 2 for 34 to help Victoria win the match.

In December 1979, he joined Hampshire ahead of the 1980 season. He made his debut for the county in a 1980 County Championship fixture against Warwickshire at Southampton. Graf made 15 first-class appearances in 1980, including against the touring Australians. in addition to taking 20 wickets at an average of 44.45. He made 12 appearances in one-day cricket,

International call-up Graf's first-class form was better in the Australian 1980–81 season. In his first Sheffield Shield game of the season, against Western Australia, he scored 34 and 64 and took four wickets. Later in the season, he scored his maiden first-class century against the same opponents at the MCG. Across the season, he made eight first-class appearances, Commenting on Australia lacking a true all-rounder, their captain Greg Chappell said at the time: "Shaun Graf is an up-and-comer in this area and he is possibly what Australia needs – not only in one day cricket but in Test matches as well". He did not end up playing in the Test series, with a back injury ruling him out, and Trevor Chappell replacing him in the side for the third Test. He did make his One Day International (ODI) debut against New Zealand at the Adelaide Oval in the first match of the Australia Tri-Nation Series which followed. He played in nine ODI matches during the series, that also included India, with Graf taking eight wickets at an average of 31.87; he was omitted from the four-match final against New Zealand. Alongside the ODI series, Australia played India in a Test series, with Graf replacing Trevor Chappell in the squad for the first Test, but he did not play. He was replaced in the second Test by Bruce Yardley.

The following season, he made two further ODI appearances in the second and third matches of the Tri-Nation Series against Pakistan and the West Indies, having been called up to replace the injured Dennis Lillee. During the 1981–82 domestic season, Graf made eight first-class appearances scoring 230 runs at an average of 19.16, He also played three one-day matches during the season. He made eight appearances in the Minor Counties Championship,

Move to Western Australia Graf moved to Western Australia for the 1983–84 season, being selected to play in the Sheffield Shield match against Victoria as a replacement for injured batsman Wayne Andrews. In his only season with Western Australia, in which they won their ninth Sheffield Shield, he made 11 first-class appearances, scoring 420 runs at an average of 35. He returned to Victoria the following season, making one appearance in the Sheffield Shield against Queensland. He retired from his role with Cricket Victoria in July 2022.